1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auto-play apparatus and, more particularly, to an auto-play apparatus, which allows an easy adlib play by assigning different phrases for about one bar to a plurality of keys, and is suitably used in an electronic musical instrument, which can record or play back the adlib play.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an electronic keyboard (e.g., an electronic piano) comprises an auto-accompaniment function including a rhythm auto-accompaniment mode, a chord/bass auto-accompaniment mode, and the like. In some electronic musical instruments, different phrases each for about one bar are assigned to a plurality of keys, and these phrases are selectively read out by one-finger key operations, thereby obtaining an adlib-like play effect upon coupling of a series of phrases (so-called a one-finger adlib play function).
Furthermore, another electronic musical instrument has a recording/playback function. In this recording/playback function, data such as key numbers, step times (tone generation timing data), gate times (tone durations), key depression velocities, and the like of depressed keys are recorded, and tones are generated on the basis of playback key depression data.
When the above-mentioned adlib phrase play is performed using a conventional electronic keyboard, or the like, the tone volume has a fixed value, which is determined on the basis of velocity values of pre-programmed note data. Therefore, even when an adlib-like play is performed, since the tone volume is fixed, the adlib phrase play cannot have a sufficient variation. Therefore, when an adlib phrase play portion is played back, an adlib play different from intended emotions is unexpectedly played back, resulting in uneasy feeling.